Binge drink panic mirrors Hogarth's 'gin craze'

Public worries about binge drinking' may seem a modern phenomena, but new historical analysis suggests Britain went through the same sort of moral panic 300 years ago when the 'gin craze' hit the streets.

David Cameron's indictment of Britain's 'broken society' would have been familiar to William Hogarth as he engraved Gin Lane, his own vivid indictment of 18th century London.

Professor Peter Borsay - whose work is being published on the History & Policy website - said: 'At first glance, the parallels between the 18th century gin craze and contemporary binge drinking appear striking.I don't think it's the drinking that merits the comparison, but the moral panics that characterised both periods. These were fuelled by pressure groups, the media and a common perception of government complacency.'

He notes it is interesting that even in the 18th century, the downfall of women was associated with drinking.

'If you look at the images we see today, the focus is often on young women.'

However, addiction experts argue Britain is in the grip of an epidemic of drinking among its youth.